Antifriction bearing



Nov. 8, 1927.

1 W. A. GEIGER ANTIFRICTION BEARING Filed saint. 20, 1924 Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES ATE T rie.

WILLIAM A. GEIGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MEsNn ASSIGNMENTS, T0,

w. INER, me, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ANTIFRICTION BEARING.

I Application filed September-20, 1924. SerialNo. 738,745.

This invention relates to improvements in anti-friction bearings. V

One object of the invention is to provide .asimple, practical and relatively inexpensive roller bearing, especially adapted for rail-,

way car side bearings, in which the parts are soar-ranged that the anti-friction element is automatically returned to' normal centered a mounting adapted to be disposed upon thetruck bolster of arailway car, and a roller;

' adapted to have rolling engagement with said mounting during aportion of the relative movement of the truckJand body bolsters, and thereafter be supported for unlimited rotation about its axis, in conjunction withcounterweights cooperating with said roller which serve to automaticallyv return the roller to centered position when the load is removed therefrom.

1 Another object of the invention is to provide a shiftable connection between the counterweights and the roller so that when the roller moves to either side of centered position, the connection operates to concentrate the return pull on the roller at the most effective points thereon, thereby increasing the centering capacity of the counterweights.

Other and further objects of the invention will more fully and clearly appear from the description and claim hereinafter following.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a vertical, sectional view taken through the ends of the body and truck bolsters of a railway car, showing my invention in connection therewith. And Fig ure 2 is a sectional view of the invention on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the underside'of a body bolster, and B the upper side of the corresponding truck bolster of a railway car. My improved side bearing is shown as applied to the truck bolster and comprises, broadly, a housing C; horiaontally spaced bBELIlIlf seats. D; counterweight guides E; an anti-Iriction element F; and counterweights G.

The housing G is preferably a hollow shell provided with curved end walls 3, and flanges l adapted to be secured to a bearing plate 5, which forms the bottom of the housin turn being secured to thetruck bolster B by means of'suitable rivets7. The oppositesidewalls 8 of-the housing O are [offset to provide the horizontally spaced, arcuate bearing seats D, and further offset to provide the guides E at either side of the housing, each of such guides preferably comprising a relatively restricted portion including vertically disposed, spaced .side walls 9,

which diverge upwardly as indicated at 10,

and have their upper portionsmerged to,

provide the top wall 11. the housing are also provided at their upper edges with overhanging retaining flanges 12, as shown. I I

The anti-friction roller F is disposed in the housing andadapted to have rolling movement jupon the bearinglplate 5, and such roller is provided/with relatively large trunnions 13 at its ends. The trunnions 13 are adapted foroperative engagement with the bearing seats vD when the roller The side walls of has moved a sufficient distance to either side of centered position, the bearing seats D being so disposed that when thetrunnions .13 engage thesame, the roller is slightly elevated and supported for unlimited rotation about its axis.

.The outer ends of the trunnions 13 are preferably provided with circular sockets 1d each of which is adapted for the recep tion of a. relatively small stud 15, formed on the upper portion of each counterweight shaped, each including an enlarged lower rounded portion 16, which slidably fits be-- tween the walls 9 of the related guide E, and a reduced portion 17 adapted to have, swinging movements within the diverging walls 10 of the related ation of the roller.

The operation of the device is as follows, assuming that the roller is moving toward the right as shown in dotted linesin Figure 1. During the normal position of the various members of the anti-friction bearing, the counterweights Gthrough the influence of gravity retain the anti-friction element -F in centered position in the housing. During the travel of the 'car in rounding a curve,

the bolsters A and B have relative moveguide, during operment, and the bolster A engages the antifriction element F causing rolling of the same upon the hearing plate through. a

limited distance, and upon further movement of the bolsters with respect to each other, the trunnions 13 Will ride upon the; bearing seats provided therefor, WhichWill result in a slight elevationof the roller, at

which time the trunnions Will support the roller for unlimited rotation about its axis. During the movement of the roller F totlie position .just describedpthe counterweights Gr-arecarried therewith, andhy reason of engagement thereof With the adjacent walls of the. guides E, such'counterweights are vertically displaced, and When the load excited by the engagement of the bolsters is removed, the counterweights G Will return the roller to centered position'through the influenceof gravity. During-the movement of the roller tothe position Where the trun nions engage the seats, thestuds 15 of the counterweights shift their hearing points;

relatively to the Walls of the sockets 14;

which results in the return pull of the counterweights being concentrated at the most efiective points on the roller, in contradis- .tinotion to a distribution of the lines of force over a greater area, Were the bearing snugly fitting, Wherebythe centering capacity of the counterweights is appreciably increased. I 1

'VVhile'I-have herein shown and described what Inow consider the preferredmanner of carrying'out my invention, the same is merely illustrative, and I. contemplate all changes and modifications that come Within the scope of the claim appended hereto: Iclaim'i In an anti'-fi'iction bearing, tion ith a retaining member adapted to be secured to a. bolster and having a bearing surface associated{therewith and provided also with hearing seats adjacent its ends; oiFan ant -"triction element, the peripheral surface of which is adapted to have rolling the ,combinaengagement with said bearing surface for limited amounts of travel to. either side of mg movement and thereafter permit rotation cit said element about the axis of said trunnions; and gravity-influenced combined counter-weight andv centering means movably-attached to said element, said retaining member havmg guidesurfaces co-operable with said centering means and so arranged that,. as said element is actuated to either central normal position, said element being provided With tr-unnions adapted to engage said oearmg seats at either end of its roll- 

